Think Crafts Blog – Craft Ideas and Projects – CreateForLess

By Craft Trends Contributor, Gillian from the blog Dried Figs and Wooden Spools. Check out our Craft Trends board on Pinterest!

Chevron! It’s everywhere! Have you noticed? From DIY painted rugs to trays to clothes, the classic chevron print is back in a big way. And there are so many places to use it! Clothing, furniture, accessories, it’s crisp lines and classic style make it adaptable to so many applications, and because of its simplicity, it’s perfect for the DIY diva.

I love the color pop that this chevron coat hook brings to the wall.

Click photo for the Chevron Wall Hook Tutorial

And this chair cushion couldn’t be easier. This look is easily achieved by using the friendship bracelet knot technique.

Click photo for the Chevron Chair Cushion Tutorial

Check out more Chevron Style on our Craft Trends Pinboard. How would you use it?

Guest Blogger Typhanie, from the blog Shoebox Decor.

I’ve wanted to do this Tea Lamp project for awhile now, ever since I saw this lamp at Anthropology but I didn’t want to drill through anything. Then I remembered seeing a no drill option in one of my magazines. So I went through my magazine drawer and sure enough I found it in the April 2009 issue of Country Living. It’s an easy three step process that uses clay instead of drilling. I had lots of fun making this lamp and I hope you guys try it. Please email me if you have any questions and send me pictures of your lamp if you do try it….Happy Crafting Everyone!

Total Cost: $21

Materials needed: Tea pot, tea cups, saucers, lamp kit, Amaco self-hardening clay, Super Glue Gel.

Step One: Gather the materials you would like to use.

Step Two: Arrange the tea cups and dishware in the way you would like your lamp to look. I suggest using a steady heavy bowl for your base.

Step Three: Fill the top tea cup with clay and set the already assembled lamp kit about an inch deep inside. Leave room so you are able to remove the harp if you want to. Let it set for 24 hours.

Step Four: Glue the remaining elements together with a thin line of Super Glue Gel. This glue is no joke so make sure you have the placement right before you set the dishware down. Let the glue dry for a minute before gluing on the next one.

Step Five: Glue on the top tea cup in 24 hour then wait a day for the lamp to set before adding a lamp shade….That’s it…Enjoy!

By General Crafts Contributor Melissa, from the blog MeloMomma.

I have always wanted to grow my own herbs, but I am super cheap and didn’t want to put much money out on it. For under $5 I was able to create a cute little herb garden and I even have left over seeds.

 What you will need:

• Old tea containers or like containers
• Potting soil
• Seeds
• Popsicle sticks
• Computer and paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Glitter

Instructions:

Fill your containers 3/4 the way full of dirt.

Create a pocket to place the seeds. Add seeds and cover. Print out pictures of what you planted. Cut them out an glue them on the popsicle stick.

Add a little glitter around the edges of the pics for extra flare.

By Craft Celebrity Mark Montano, from the blog Mark Montano’s Big Ass Blog.

Ok, raise your hands if there is a table in your house that your can’t look at for another minute. Every time you pass by it sitting there is just stares at you and says, “I’m ugly, but you’re too afraid to get rid of me!” and then it says something else, “you don’t have the nerve to get rid of me because where would you pile up your junk mail!”. Well, it’s time to shut that annoying table up once and for all and give it a face lift. Trust me, it will make you happy and the only thing your table will say when you pass it by will be “thank you!” so go grab your glue gun!

YOU’LL NEED:

• 2 woven Chinese mats
• 1 roll of 3/8″ grosgrain ribbon that matches (I used olive green)
• Elmer’s wood glue
• 2″ wide soft bristle brush
• Scissors
• Hot glue gun and glue
• Minwax Polycrylic coating (best stuff on earth!)

HERE’S HOW:

STEP 1: GATHER YOUR SUPPLIES!

STEP 2: Measure your table top and cut out the same size from the woven mat.

STEP 5: When the entire table is covered in mat, take the hot glue gun and start applying the grosgrain ribbon around all of the edges. Take your time and make sure that you are covering the rough edges of the mat with the ribbon.

STEP 6:  Coat the entire table (even the ribbon!) with the Minwax Polycrylic coating and let dry.

By Crafts-a lot Contributor, Mable who is an avid reader of craft blogs & magazines and has aspirations to improve her crafting skills. Join Mable on Facebook to socialize and share with other crafters!

I love planning birthday parties. I love the decorations, party games, invitations, food and the most fun part for me is picking a theme!

I vividly remember my 5th birthday I had a rainbow theme party. I got to pick out the decorations, plates & napkins, invitations and my cake. I had streamers in rainbow colors, a confetti cake and a rainbow table cloth with matching plates and napkins. It’s been 20+ years since my party, but it’s still a very pleasant memory.

My favorite blog for party ideas is One Charming Party. They posted a series of posts for a Pajama Glam Party, and it’s the most adorable idea I’ve ever seen. I love the feather boas, because every glam girl needs one.

Pajama Glam Party

I saw this while spending quality time with Pinterest, The Golf Par-Tee. She piped green frosting to look like grass on the cupcakes, and added a donut hole to be the golf ball. The green cups are jello with a mini marshmallow for the golf ball.  It was his 6^th birthday, so all the golf flags had a 6. The kids wore foam visors, and they even had a putting green!

Golf Par-Tee

iCandy Handmade posted their Princess and Superhero Birthday Party idea. It was a great idea because it was for boys and girls. Each kid got their own capes and she had fun activities for them. First, it was Squirt the Villain.

Princess & Superhero Birthday Party

No Birthday party is complete without party hats. It makes the day more special, and the pictures are sillier when you are wearing party hats. There are a lot of tutorials out there to make your own to go with your party theme.

Birthday Party Hats

Make It: Fun & CreateForLess want to give you a $100 shopping spree!

Want a chance to win $100 worth of free craft supplies?! If you are reading this, we already know the answer my crafty friend.

Follow these 3 easy steps for your chance to win!

1. SHARE this post on your Facebook page. (Our SHARE button is below)

2. LIKE CreateForLess.com on Facebook.

3. LIKE Make It: Fun on Facebook and comment that I want a shopping spree for craft supplies!

Make: It Fun will select and announce the winner on May 25th. Stay tuned! Check out some craft projects here so you can Make: It Fun.

Start browsing now at CreateForLess. With over 60,000 craft products, there is something for every crafter.

By Cardmaking & Scrapbook Layout Contributor, Peg from the blog Peg’s Crafting Corner.

One of the “in” and fun thing is to use a sketch to create your layouts.   They’re  helpful when you aren’t sure just where to begin or need a little inspiration for a page. This is a simple sketch and layout I created.  The one fun thing about using sketches is that your embellishments don’t have to match the ones on the sketch the butterflies here are 2 flowers and 1 butterfly on my layout.  You can turn the elements in any direction you’d like. Card makers use sketches, too! 

The following products can be found at CreateForLess:

• K & Co. Spring Blossom Paper Pad
• K & Co Abrianna Chipboard Chipbox
• Paper Accents Variety Pack Cardstock
• Fiskars Punch Everywhere Starter  Set
• Marvy Uchida Clever Lever Spring Flower Punch
• Paper Trimmer
• Green Brad
• Favorite Marker
• Favorite Taper Runner
• Click to Download Fun with Sketches PDF
  

  Fun with Sketches

Once  you have the paper and embellishments to create the layout,  you will want to print out the sketch and the pictures.  First trim the pictures according to the sizes listed on the Fun with Sketches PDF.   Next, trim the background  paper (yellow Paper Accents Cardstock) to be a little larger than the pictures.  Here I left those measurements up to you because you may have a piece of patterned paper that doesn’t have a large pattern  such as the tulips in the right corner.   My background papers measured 6 ½” x 4 ¼”  for the large photo and 1 ½” x 1 ½” for the smaller ones.  Adhere to photos and the background paper to the layout using your favorite tape runner.  Be sure to keep the sketch design in mind. 

Punch 2 flowers using the Spring Flower Punch and the yellow cardstock and 1 flower from the green cardstock.  Layer the green and one yellow flower on top of the last yellow one and put the green brad through the center.  Attach the flower on the layout where you’d like it.  Remember the fun thing about using a sketch is it’s ok to put things in different places. 

Trim a piece of yellow cardstock for your “title” square that measures 2 ½” x 3″ and lay it aside.  Trim a piece of green cardstock that measures the same size.  Center it in the Fiskars Punch Everywhere as shown in the picture.

The punch is made to punch once to set the pins and then you will have to push down a second time a little harder to make the cut.

You will now have a piece that looks like this.

Place some adhesive on the back of the frame and attach it to the yellow cardstock you trimmed. 

Adhere it onto the layout and write in your message.  Notice on my layout, I turned my frame sideways.  That’s ok because I’ve still used the element of the sketch and made it my own.  Add the flower and butterfly to the layout where you’d like them and your layout is now finished. 

Be sure to use the sketch and create your own layouts!  For even more fun join the CreateForLessFacebook page and share with everyone what you have created.